Introduction: Tenotomy of the tendon of the stapedius and tensor tympani (TT) muscles
is a minimal-invasive surgical therapeutic procedure in Meniere's disease (MD). It
has been assumed that the TT medializes the stapes into the oval window, resulting
in changes in perilymphatic pressures of the inner ear. By cutting the tendons of
both middle ear muscles, they affect the pressure dynamics by not augmenting this
pressure even further. Aim: The immediate and long-term investigation of the effect
of middle ear muscle tenotomy on the quality of life of patients suffering from Meniere's
disease, measured by the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and the Tinnitus Handicap
Inventory (THI). Method: A follow-up study of 22 patients with definite, unilateral
Meniere's disease had undergone tenotomy under general or local anesthesia through
an endaural approach. Pre- and postoperative DHI values were compared for all patients.
Statistical analysis: The statistical analysis was completed by using the IBM SPSS
V24 software. Since the parameters did not show normal distribution, non-parametric
test (Mann-Whitney U test) was used. The significance level was specified as p<0.05.
Results: A statistically significant reduction of DHI scores was noted in all patients.
The tinnitus significantly reduced and all of the patients mentioned improved symptoms
of MD. Conclusion: Although the follow-up period is short, and the pathomechanism
(decrease of stapes medialization in the oval window) is not exactly clear, tenotomy
seems to be a successful promising surgical treatment method with a high reduction
of dizziness handicap score in conservative therapy-resistant Meniere's disease.
